Study: Even for drop-outs, college pays

It sounds like the worst of all worlds — borrowing money for college, then dropping out and facing the debt without a degree.

But a new study argues that the investment in even a partial college education is still worth it, amounting to average earnings of $100,000 more over a lifetime than for those who merely finish high school. That's a better investment return on average than stocks and bonds — though of course much lower than the return on college for those who finish.